Civil Discovery

Civil Discovery - Professors Bradley Harris and Daniel Nichols

• Course Number: LAW-340
• Course Type: Foundational
• Credits: 2
• Enrollment Limit: Determined by the Registrar
• Description:  The vast majority of civil cases settle before trial, and most cases settle because of discovery. Discovery skills are vital for any litigating attorney. And the electronic storage of information poses a host of legal, technical, and ethical issues. Fluency in electronic discovery is critical because virtually all controversies in U.S. courts or administrative proceedings today involve information in electronic form.

By the end of the course, the student should have a clear understanding of the principal discovery rules, how they currently apply to electronically transmitted and stored information, and how they can be used more effectively in dispute resolution generally. This course is not meant solely for “techies”; no computer science background is required. The issues we will discuss impact all aspects of legal practice, whether they be in the law firm, government, or in-house setting.

• Prerequisite: none
• Evaluation Method: Unscheduled exam
• Capstone: no
• WIE: no